How They Grow
by MikaMckeena
Summary: Time touches some, and some are not even part of time anymore....Ghost one shot


How they grow...

The peace of the hidden ninja was long over due for a shake up other then this mundane pattern it had following into. At least it was for one blond haired shot poking his head through a fat women's face trying to score a man half her age. It was have his own problem he had come too. The spirit could not leave this village and would just pop back to the center of it. Years of trying had proven that to real fact to him. One joy the man did take was watching the new generation of ninja grow so fast.

He like any other spirit were side the pull of time, they merely passed through the years un touched or seen by those pulled by the tide of the thing. Yet, even the pattern of peace did touch his own heart. Hoping to the roof of there the Hokage office is, he sat down. Watching the sunlight gentle touch his home he had died to protect not so long ago in many minds. His village still held onto the tale they wove about the bravo that young man had put forth to save his people, and his lacey which was told in the tales of that night. Fighting away the pulling of the dark memories, his blue eyes darkened; recalling the shattering howl of the fox, the cry of the people, blood scaring the ground. And the cry of a new born babe, lost and pulling from the arms of the only warmth he had known first in life. That one action and guilt would always remain in his mind, that which bound him to this place, this village and people.

He had watched the child grow, alone, and hated by the people he had saved not knowing all that had happened that night. Yet, the body named Naruto did make bounds and find people who just saw him and him alone. Not the demon he carried inside his own body and bound by the soul in the flesh.

"I am glad this generation will not know what the former did just to live.." his inner voice heavy with the knowledge. The times of blood, the war, and yes even the truth of the fox. That was the one thing he had been trying to find out before it attacked the village. Timing was just to perfect to be just a occurrence for his taste" Seems someone might be strings." he heard the Toad Hermit saying to the female Hokage just the day before they had left with Naruto for his training to start.

He could still see the far of image of the boy, his smile bright and arm waving to the place he had called home his whole life. Yet, those he defined as his home might be seen differently from what the whole of the village had done to the boy. Arashi felt his hand clench into a fist, the nails drawing blood from the skin.

Opening his hand, a smirk played on his features. "Who knew ghost could still bleed like in real life" he thought, yet that was an old passing rumbling he had done more then once to prove he was dead in this life time. "Still, it stinks a bit to be in this world and yet not be part of it. Must be a parting gift from that damn fox..."

Signing, his body faded to once more pop up in front of the school. Sitting on the swing like it was a old friend, which it had been to many before him. Watching the next generation train and grow brought more hope and something to soften this routine of life as it carried on like this. "Makes me wish a few other shobit were in the same boat as me, at least I would have someone to train with to kill the time again. Watching people grows dull the first descend passes."

Moving, he caught on the corner of his eye that well known lazy chunin of the school. One Nara Shikamaru was lying in the grass, his friend and team mate Akimichi Chōji. Eating his chips like always on these sky watching days. Fighting a smile at this peaceful picture, he silent walked over to the pair.

Shikamaru felt something dispute the air around them, yet he grown use to it over the years of coming to this village to watch the clouds. Not really taking much mind to such things now. Such a day was to perfect for deep thinking, and why bother right now? Yawning a bit, only the sounds of Chōji eating broke the silent day. Konohagakure had become to peaceful it seemed, things going back to normal as always. A mussing smile bit his lips, thinking of one blond ninja that could easily send that peace in a shatters of jokes.

Chōji saw the twitch on the face of the young man, "Whata ya thinking Shika?"

Turning his head to look up at the larger teen, the Nara smiled a bit" Nothing really impotent just thinking this place could use a shake up a bit."

"Ya I know what you mean. Ino was complying the missions are boring." he agreeing.

Turning his head back the sky, "Nauto would be running a mock and making a mess of everything right now, knowing him."

Chōji snorted a agreement, thinking of their blond friend. They could tell of the difference in the village with out him around. Naurto was one of the few who understood the strength a good meal could give you or one of few that could have a eating contest with him.

"Ya think he changed at all?" he asked, thinking a bit more then normal into the idea.

The Nara blinked, rethinking the answer a bit "We all change, it just happens."

Knowing he would get that answer from his friend, Chōji could only smile at such a response and went back to watching the clouds and eating his chips.

The Forth could only chuckle as this all to normal scene for these two, yet hearing them talk warmly about their friend made the Yondaime feel better. Knowing the genin had friends who would welcome him back after these years of training made all the difference just then. This was not the first time he had heard passing of these conversations. The blond was missed by his friends and those he had touched in his life. Smiling at the images of the young boy growing up flashed in his mind, yet how would he look now. How tall was he? Did he loose the baby fat? Was his hair the same style? Or his cloths? Who was taking after in personality? Sadness surged from his chest; thinking of that boy always did it to him. Gentle smiling yet his eyes not holding that emotion to be played out if someone could see his image... Concern for the blond had been on his mind more and more lately. With the Akatsuki moving in the recent years and trying to attack Naruto before he left on training, the Forth hoped nothing happened all the more.

Moving from the pair of chunin, he walked down the worn path. His thoughts trying to piece the clues together to this point, all of it leading back to the Akatsuki group. Some of the reports that had come to Tsunade concerned him all the more; many of vessels of the tailed beast had turned up dead or missing over the last two in half years. All most likely from the evince found were the Akatuski ninja.

"What are they up too? Going after the jinchuuriki like this out of the blue? Something is happening, more then what is being seen or done by our eyes." he thought; hand on his chin while walking through the walls of the houses. "This is the first real move that group has made in years. The Akatuski always moved in small steps, not like a big jump they are doing now. Could they finally be ready for the last push?'

Fear bubbled for the Leaf, his home for a moment. If something big was about to hit, none of them were ready for a war. This was the first generation not to know the bloodshed they had known. Maybe small touches had entered, yet if he feared about to happen came to pass. A lot was to be lost in the thing called War..

Fighting the urge to hit something, the man jumped once more to the roofs of the houses, passing along them like a leaf in the mind.

Finely, he reached his target. The Hokeage mountain, laying down to get some rest. Even he had to sleep as a ghost from doing so much active today. Watching the sun set on the clouds, the Nara always had the right idea of when to do watching.

Dawn broke over his eyes, blinking away the rush of memories and the mix of dreams. The two had run together like a painting to tell his life before his death. One of smiling women, her bright eyes holding that light only for him and what they in those moments no one dared to understand. He could just be himself around her, no title, no looks or fear, no mask around those near him. Just he in all mirrors and that mirror was her eyes. Wetness touched his visions of all things, breaking down the heavens just a moment.

"No point in holding onto a past long dead like I am now..." he thought bitterly, feeling a old anger at being put into this between phase.

Pulling his body up, he felt something different in the air this day. A more light feeling was building in the village from something new. His eyes scanned the rim of the whole, trying to see if any changes had happened while he was sleeping. Phasing out into the air to reemerged at the gate, his bright eyes and sense starching to the whole. Then he saw an outline on the path to the village. Two in fact in count. One was a head shorter then the other, but not by much. His walk had a bounce to it he knew all to well. This was no other then the missing hyper ninja known by the name of one Uzumaki Naruto. The forth felt a ray of pure joy shot through the anger that claimed his being on a whole, watching the outline turn into a image, gods how the boy had grown... He was taller then the last time, maybe the Hermit had gotten to eat more then raman. Naruto had filled out in both physical and stature. He still had those bright eyes that would chase away any dark feelings to one to looked into them at all. That smile held more to it, it was a real smile and not the one used to cover his hidden pain. Then it was the air about the teen that held the most change to him. It held a serious tone to it, more to earth then before. Naruto had matured much the last years he had been away from his home. Training for a goal to reach and a promise to keep to both his friends just two years pass. The Forth smiled almost sadly knowing this promise maybe broken and a dream shattered to both these young people. Still, the boy was home and back with his friends of all thing. Seeing that joy spread on Naruto's features on seeing the gates of his home was enough for the Hokekage at that time.

Walking to the edge of the gate, he felt the pull at his core. Knowing he could only go so far outside the opening of the thing. Yet he pushed those lines more then ever to get one thing done. Just one thing he wanted to do for Naruto for his time away before anyone else could claim that right. Naruto wanted to run straight into the village, to smell the scent of home on the air, the faces of the pass Hokages, his friends, and one other thing that made it feel like home. Then a few feet away from stepping into the village, warmth spread on his shoulders, gentle squeezing his body

. Faint words blew into his ears "Welcome home..." Tears edged his vision, blurring his world for just a moment. This was what he missed most of all when away, this strange warmth and welcoming touch that had been his only friend as a boy growing up alone all those years. Yes, he was home...


End file.
